UK troops in Ukraine would be ‘bigger than the Afghan war’, ex-defence chiefs warn

UK troops in Ukraine would be ‘bigger than the Afghan war’, ex-defence chiefs warn



Posted by theipaper

24 comments

  1. Joining a peacekeeping force in Ukraine would be a commitment greater than the war in Afghanistan and risk head-on conflict with Russia, former defence chiefs have warned.

    Sir Keir Starmer has said [he is open to sending peacekeeping troops to guarantee Ukraine’s security](https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/uk-troops-ukraine-peace-deal-3412896?ico=in-line_link) if a deal to end the country’s current war with Moscow is agreed.

    But he has not yet indicated how many British service personnel might be involved in such a plan, amid questions over whether the Armed Forces are large enough to play a leading role.

    Former defence ministers and military officers warned that the Government must not underestimate the size of the commitment that the Prime Minister has offered to make.

    [Sir Gavin Williamson](https://inews.co.uk/topic/gavin-williamson?ico=in-line_link), who was defence secretary under Theresa May, told *The i Paper*: “It is right that Britain takes a leadership role, but there has to be a reality check in that it is going to be incredibly expensive, not just in equipment but also in personnel.”

    He added: “What we are talking about is a significant commitment that will actually be more significant than even the Afghan war, because in the Afghan war you were not dealing with a peer enemy.”

  2. Well. Russian troops in Poland wouldn’t be ice creams and jellybeans, either. The world needs to draw a line, and tell Putin he can’t cross it.

  3. Gavin Williamson is an idiot and shouldn’t comment on adult topics like these.

  4. Are we really going to waste billions doing this… really. Can’t we just use the money to, oh I don’t know, benefit the UK people and not others ffs. We aren’t even the closest country to them. Makes ZERO sense.

    Edit: To all those downvoting- go join the Ukrainian forces now then. You’re in denial that the UK is no longer a power player, we are a third world country if we remove London from the equation, we are struggling financially to fund anything, our MOD is in turmoil, expenses are rising.

    Not sure how wanting to put OUR country first makes me a RUS bot?

  7. He is an ex defence guy he won’t have the whole picture

  9. It’s a special operation.
    *It’s a war*.
    We’re not getting involved, they’re not NATO.
    *Spends millions on supplies*.
    NATO won’t get involved.
    *Sends troops over*.
    …

  10. If we don’t nip this in the bud now and it escalates to the point I get fucking drafted I’m going to be rather annoyed.

  11. Don’t see the issue with having troops in Ukraine, a sovereign nation which requests troops from allied nations. I would argue the hostile troops from neighbouring Russia might be the actual issue here and has been all along.

  12. Ukraine joins nato, pretty much problem solved, putin will not attack a nato country

  13. If Russia makes it’s way past Ukraine, we’ll all have to fight anyway. Almost all the borders of both countries are with NATO members.

    And if we have to fight anyway, I’d rather not have it in our borders.

  14. Starmer knows trump is going to put an end to the war and so this looks like typical Starmer, the guy who you know is lying when his lips are moving, he’s merely trying to look brave and warrior-like. No troops will be going in.

  16. Obviously, but much shorter, given Russian “army”‘s recent performance

  17. Assuming he’s talking about the war the 2000 war and not the 19th century one then it’s completely irrelevant.

    Fighting a proper state is completely different to fighting a terrorist group.

    Would it be bigger in terms of manpower and weaponry? Probably. Would it be as difficult to secure a victory? No.

    We “won” the Afghan war, in a few years. It was dealing with the aftermath and the withdrawal that was the shitshow and took nearly two decades. Because terrorists don’t surrender and when they do it’s a lie. When a state is beaten ala WW2 you know there’s not much they can do on a large scale again for a while.

  18. And our reliance on America would be highlighted.

    Many redditors seem to think the British army is uber…its been starved, abused and betrayed so many times.

    The joke adverts it now has to try and recruit people…interested in getting f paid to get fit…or play football…shows that concepts like defending rhe nation while being supported in and out of uniform are less important…or true…these days.

  19. Who will be left to help us when the Russian scum are raping women & children in London, running civilians over with tanks, butchering whole communities for speaking English & bombing schools, hospitals & super markets?

    We have to resist totalitarian expansionism, just like we did in 1939. This is our moment to say enough is enough & do something about it other than wringing our hands.

  20. Isn’t it odd how we are now deciding to deploy troops to Ukraine just as the Americans are having peace talks with Russia? The majority of people don’t want this.

  22. The UK deploying troops is going to be part of the peace deal where Russia keeps the Donbass and there is a demilitarised zone with non American peacekeepers on the border.

  23. Why the fuck is this prick Starmer putting British troops in the firing line again. Are there no other fucking countries in Europe. Really pissed off veteran.

  24. Mark my words.

    UK / European troops will go, get some casualties and nobody will do anything about it.

    Russia has cut data cables, crashed planes, attempted and killed people on UK soil.

    What have we done…

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